The thriller Good Guy With a Gun written and directed by John Mossman will world premiere at Dances With Films Festival (DWF).
The film will screen on Friday, December 2, 2022 at 9:30 pm as part of the festival at Regal Union Square in New York City. Mossman is a DWF alum having won the Industry Choice Award for Into the Wake.
The film stars Beck Nolan (Facial) as Will Greenwood, Tiffany Bedwell (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) as Tessa Greenwood, Jack Cain (Love, Victor) as Jonah, David Stobbe (Vronika) as Cade, Steppenwolf’s Ian Barford (13 Going on 30) as Jerry, Dan Waller (Canal Street) as Duke, indie powerhouse Joe Swanberg (You’re Next) as Tom Greenberg, veteran Chicago comic actor David Pasquesi (Veep) as Philip, Morgan P. Allen as Auggie, John LaFlamboy (The Moleman of Belmont Avenue) as Officer Osborne, John Mossman (Into the Wake) as Riggs, and Liv Shine (Shining Girls) as Donelle. Jennifer Jelsema (Come As You Are) as Anna, Chad Kaple as Mr. Hargis, Elizabeth Laidlaw (The Red Line) as Marilyn, Kathy Scambiatterra (Into the Wake) as Mrs. Zirzow, Skye Shrum (Number 6) as Noreen, Roger Welp (Saint Frances) as Officer Kruegher and Todd Wojcik as Father Tinley.
Good Guy With a Gun is a rural noir thriller following a boy and his mother’s arrival into a small town where their fractured relationship is widened by his deepening journey into gun culture. Amidst the increasingly dangerous path he finds himself on, he and his mother struggle to repair their fractured family. But at what cost?
Challenging the black-and-white concept of good guy/bad guy, the story explores the gray area lacking in the current dialogue surrounding not just guns but many aspects of life deserving of a more nuanced discussion within our American family. It is a metaphor for our greater American family, fractured, losing faith in itself, and going down a path it may never recover from.
The story of the film germinated from two major incidents of gun violence, the Sandy Hook massacre and the January 6 insurrection. As an avid outdoorsman, patriot, and gun owner, Mossman was propelled to create a film that responded to the Capital riots and sparked dialogue among those it may trigger on both sides of the aisle. He states, “this film specifically targets the hot-button issue of guns in America, which is represented with the nuance and gray area conspicuously absent in our rancorous politicized environment. The majority of America senses the false premise of having to “choose sides” in what should be a discussion vs. a debate that fractures families and I feel this film provides at least a place to start in that discussion. On a personal note, as a hunter, I personally was horrified by the Jan. 6 “inaugurrection” and increased radicalization of the gun culture I am associated with and could no longer remain silent. This story is a result of that experience and I am forever grateful for collaborators like Kevin and De, like-minded investors, and festivals who feel this story needs telling.”
Watch the first trailer for Good Guy With a Gun.